Sister Dearest
by ShioriAyano
Summary: Hanabi's musings on her idol, hero, and teacher: Hinata. [[Collection of Oneshots] [NO Incest or Yuri, Sorry.]]
1. A Lesson in Thanks

**Notes: **This will be pretty much just a collection of one shots from Hanabi's point of view of her sister, Hinata. Just a little something to stave off the writer's block, so it will be updated randomly. I got my inspiration from the book Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata. GREAT book! If you have not read it, please do! This style of writing is a little different than what I normally do, and since it is told from Hanabi's point of view (Who is...what? Seven?), it is a little childish. Oh well! I hope you enjoy this one.

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own **Naruto **or any of the characters in it. Shoot!

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As long as I could remember, my nee-chan had always been there for me. She was my pillar of strength, my teacher, and so many other things to me. I always wanted to tell her that, it was my deepest wish to tell my nee-chan just how much she meant to me – I knew she felt underappreciated – but, like my otosan, I was never good with emotions.

My nee-chan was very fragile, physically and mentally. But she was also very, very strong; because she tried to hide the fact she was so fragile. She didn't like to have people worry about her, it made her feel even weaker, and so I never told her that I worried for her. I didn't like to get her upset. Besides, I didn't know how I would tell her.

Even though she doesn't like having others be concerned about her, my nee-chan always worries about everybody else, including myself. She often gets hurt that way, too. When people refuse her help, it makes her sad, and she's gloomy for the rest of the day. I didn't want to be one to hurt her, so one day I told her that.

"Onee-san," I said as we sat together on a bench by the outside training field. We had just spared off, and I had faked an injury so we could take a break for a while. My nee-chan had gotten tired and needed to tend to her wounds. She looked at me quizzically, surprised I was speaking to her, then smiled softly and laid down her onigiri in her bento box. It made me happy to see her smile. She rarely did anymore. Plus, it boosted my confidence because I would give her one more reason to smile after I told her what I wanted to say. Without another weight on her shoulder, she would be able to smile more often.

"Yes?" she asked.

"You don't need to worry about me. I can take care of myself." I said, and applauded myself for doing so. I expected her to say 'thank you' or something like that, but she didn't.

She looked shocked, but only for a fleeting second, I wasn't sure if I had imagined it or not. Then she frowned sadly, stood dejectedly, and muttered "Okay". From the tone of her voice, I could tell she was about to cry. She left her lunch on the bench and walked quickly off into the shower house. What did I do wrong? Could I have really said something that would make her that upset? Was it _how _I said it? I wanted to call her back, to explain to her what I meant, but didn't. I felt like a monster for making her upset like that. I cursed myself, stood up brusquely and walked straight to my room with out washing first, concocting plans to say sorry should I ever hurt her again.

My nee-chan came down to dinner that night, despite her feelings. She sat in her usual seat. I sat as far away from her as I could get. I think that hurt her even more.

I never did say sorry for hurting her that day, and I do regret it deeply. I didn't like being responsible for bringing even more pain into my nee-chan's life when she had so much in it already. Yet the one time I try to take away some pain, I hurt her. I know I'm so much more of a failure than she is. I wish I could have been kinder to her, been her friend, like we used to be when we were children. I should be _thanking_ her for her help in teaching me (even though she doesn't know she does), not _harming_ her. I should say sorry for that, too. But I'm not sure I can.

Like my father, I was never really good with emotions.

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**End Notes: **So what do you think? Please review and tell me...


	2. A Lesson in Love

**Disclaimer: Nope, not yet.**

**Notes: Yes, I updated. O.o Time to celebrate! And I know that this chapter wanders a little bit, but I meant it to be like that since it is from the POV of a seven year old Hanabi. She's young, and her thoughts often jump from one place to another, so that's my excuse. Please keep this in mind when you think, _Why the crap is she writing like a seven year old?! _Anyway, I have a request for you, should you chose to accept it... I would like you, my lovely readers, to, in a review, give me a suggestion for a "lesson" Hanabi learns from Hinata. It could be something like..."A Lesson in Cooking" To "A Lesson in Hope"! I don't care! I just want a suggestion! And who ever's suggestion I use, that chapter shall be dedicated to you:) So review, folks!**

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My nee-chan, for nearly all of her twelve-year life, had always had a crush on that bumbling idiot _Naruto_, for a reason I never fully understood. What was so great about _him_? He was a failure; a naïve failure who never understood when it was time to quit. Or, at least, that was how I had heard my Otosan discuss him. Besides, I didn't understand the whole concept of having a 'crush' on someone. It seemed childish and stupid. But, if my nee-chan had a 'crush' on someone, maybe she could explain to me what one was. Maybe I could experience one for myself – in time.

It was night now, the sun had just lowered completely, and members of the Hyuga household were getting ready for bed. Almost everyone here was on the same schedule here where I lived. It got incredibly boring when your whole day pretty much went something like this:

7:00 AM: Get up from bed and get ready for the day.

8:15 AM: Have breakfast.

8:30 AM: Leave for various daytime activities.

8:30 AM – 5:30 PM: Do various daytime activities.

5:30 PM: Return back to the household.

6:15 PM: Prepare to have dinner.

6:45 PM: Have dinner.

7:45 PM: Return to either library/bedroom/foyer/etc.

9:15 PM: Prepare for bed.

10:00 PM: Go to bed.

Then again, it all varied depending on what rank you were and how old you were. But those were the general guidelines.

The sun usually set around 8:20 PM here in Konoha, and while everyone else was getting ready for bed, my nee-chan was already in bed oftentimes, including tonight. She was tired every single night because of all the training she went through everyday, I felt bad for her because she was always so worn out, but I needed the answer to this question, and I knew I could trust her.

I knocked on her thin wooden door, and heard her soft footsteps across the floor as she made her way over to the sliding door.

"Coming," she murmured gently. I felt bad for waking her up then; she sounded so tired, but brushed it off. She slid the door open and rubbed her eyes, then immediately lost her sleepiness as she saw me and quickly stuttered out: "Y-Yes, H-H-Hanabi-san?" The way she said my name insulted me. She sounded afraid of me, and said my name as if I were simply some girl at school she happened to see on the street, making no indication I was her sister. She didn't even add '-chan' to the end! But I brushed that off, too, blaming it on her shock to see me after he had just woken up, and spoke.

"Can I come in, Onee-san? I need to discuss something with you," I spoke matter-of-factly, in that monotone voice I had learned from Otosan.

My nee-chan seemed hesitant at first, but then nodded and stood out of my way so I could come into her small room. I did so quickly and sat on her small bed, waiting for her to join me. She stared at me from the door, her face once again displaying all of her emotions.

Confusion…Suspicion…Hesitance…Confusion again, before she finally sat down next to me on her bed. Poor girl, I thought. She was still in her training clothes, her hair was a mess, and I could see a bruise on her calf.

She must have had a rough day.

We sat in a predictable silence for a while, I not volunteering any information, and she not willing to ask. I sat calmly, my hands at my side, looking at her blankly, while she pulled her knees to her chin with her arms wrapped around them, twiddling her fingers. Her eyes shied away from mine and found interest in the opposite corner of the room. Although I didn't show it, it made me angry.

"Onee-san," I said, finally breaking the silence, "What is a _'crush'_?" her head whipped around as she looked at me with wide, white, eyes.

"H-Huh?" She stuttered.

"I said, 'what is a _'crush'_?" I repeated, turning my whole body to face her. She stared at me for a moment, before she looked down at the ground, and spoke in a voice I could barely hear.

"W-W-Well…. It's s-sort of h-h-hard to e-e-explain…. A cr-crush is whe-when you l-l-like someone, I-I-I guess…."

"But isn't that the same thing as 'love', then?" I asked, interrupting her. She turned around quickly and looked at me, seemingly shocked that I would say that. She pulled her hands from around her knees and set her feet on the floor before crossing her legs on the bed to face me fully. That was a first.

"No! No!" She said, gaining confidence. "L-L-Love is w-when you c-c-care so much for someone, that you would do a-anything f-f-for them! You w-w-would always try to h-h-help them, and make them h-h-happy, even if they don't l-l-l-love you…." This seemed to make her sad, for she cast her eyes downwards and her voice reduced to a whisper. "A c-c-crush is merely a s-s-shadow of l-l-love…. W-W-When the person is m-m-ore than a f-f-friend…. But n-not a l-l-l-l-lover…." She said, and then grew quiet.

"Nee-chan," I said, "Do you have a 'crush' on a Naruto?" My nee-chan looked at me again, surprised and blushing.

"I don't have a c-c-c-crush on h-h-him!" She squeaked. I smirked. Whenever she was denying something, she would blush and her words would be mere squeaks.

"So then you must 'love' him, am I correct?" I retorted. She blushed a deeper shade of red, and when she spoke her voice sounded like a mouse's.

"N-N-N-No! I-I-I d-d-don't l-l-l-l-l-love h-h-h-him, e-e-e-either!"

"Yes, you do," I said simply, smirking. She said nothing. "But, nee-chan, do you think I'll ever love someone?" I asked then. She stared at me, a resigned look on her face.

"Hanabi-san, everybody loves somebody," She said quietly. We then were enveloped in a companionable silence, before I nodded my head in her direction, and headed for her door.

"Thank-you…" I said softly, my hand on the door, my head turned towards her. She lifted her eyes, and shot me a rare smile. I smirked back at her, opened the door, and walked out, shutting it behind me.

I envied my sister, for experiencing the stuff I hadn't yet experienced. But she was older than me, and I had learned that things come in time. I was….somewhat _giddy_ at the though of 'falling in love', although, to my nee-chan, it sounded like it had hurt her more than helped her. Then right there, in the hallway, I made a promise to myself. If Naruto, or anyone else broke my nee-chan's heart, I would make them feel the pain they had caused her. She deserved the best, and I would make sure she had it.

_Everybody loves somebody…_

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**End Notes: Well got that over with. Now, like I said before, review and tell me a lesson I should use in the next chapter. It would help a BUNCH! Thanks!**


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